Last time we were together we looked at Psalm 139 from a new perspective, recognizing that all people ever conceived bear the image of God, because he made each of us in his own image. But what does that mean, really?

We Bear God’s Likeness and Breathe His Breath

The creation story in Genesis 1 and 2 is filled with the wonder of God’s boundless thoughts and loving care. The pinnacle of his creation was human life. “‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Gen 1:26-27). Not only did God make humans in his image and put them into a beautiful Garden that provided for all our needs, he gave them authority and responsibility over creation.

Further, Genesis 2:7 (KJV) tells us that “the Lord God…breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” a statement Job affirmed when he said, “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life” (Job 33:4).

Three affirmations from the Scripture that we belong to the God who made us.

  • The psalmist says, “…It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture”(Ps 100:3).
  • In Ac 17:28 Paul told the men of Athens, “For in him we live and move and have our being….We are his offspring.”
  • And Isaiah reminds us of our dependence on God when he says, “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand” (Isa 64:8).

God Has a Purpose for Us

When we recognize that we are sinners, trying to live life on our own, we can turn to Christ and be made new. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor 5:17). The new creation includes us discovering the purpose God designed us for, as stated in Eph 2:10: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” And one more amazing result of being a redeemed image bearer is found in 2 Cor 3:18: “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

Every person in the world, no matter how vile they may be, or how disadvantaged or broken or used up, bears God’s image. The Lord sees us all through eyes of love and grace. But not everyone sees all people as of equal value in the world. Not everyone knows that the person they may be devaluing is an image bearer. Not everyone sees all human life as sacred.

Through the month…

…we will meet folks who are working for the good of the disenfranchised. If you missed the post on how Sister Connection is making an impact on Burundi by caring for the widows, you might want to check it out. What a life-giving ministry it is! This month you’ll hear an amazing story of a ministry who is caring for women in unplanned pregnancies and their unborn children, hear from a ministry that offers help and hope for victims of domestic abuse, and learn ways to give dignity and joy to those facing the end of life. We’ll talk about raising children with special needs and learn how we can encourage persecuted Christians around the world.

Lord, help us to see ALL people as bearing God’s image, whether they know it or not. Help us to treat all people with grace, knowing that their lives are as important to you as our own lives are. And bless the many people around the world who give their lives for the good of the disenfranchised and the glory of God. Amen

Ginger